Spark-gap controlling device



G. H. TABER.

SPARK GAP CONTROLLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 8, I919- Patented Apr. 20, 1920.

INVENTOB George H/I'ab er BY ATTORNEYS" WITNESSES hurled at in this eonstru m w n ism H003) TA'BER. (3F BING-HAMTQN, NEE? EPARK-GAP-'"ONTROLLING DEVICE.

Application filed March 8,

and improved Spark-Gop-( ontrolling De vice, of which the following is a full. clear, and exact deseripiiion- This invention relates to sparkingdeviees for internal combustion engines or the like and has pilliilc'dlill' reference 110 means for Varying the ii'iteiisity of lLhe spurh by posiiive i'neons under the control of the operator. in the operation of iniernal (mnhust'ion engines for automobiles or-lihe machinery ii; is well ln'iown' that wheno spnrl: from fl haitery or nmgneto relied upon to initiate the notion of the engineiit is ireqneutfl' desired or KH' essnry to intensify the mark 190 over- (-ome oi ly, oty, or unfavorable ei'iioditions oi? the spark plugs. Aeoordingly it is desired to provide some means for increasing the gap either at the spark plug; or at some other poi'ofi in. the circuit in order to effect the desired intensification of the spark. it follows, therefore, that thepriinni object on is i'o provide a means whereby the gap in all or any number of spark circuits may be increased or diminished oil: will and so maintained by positive means either during die starting: oi the engine or the subsequent operation thereof.

With the foregoing end other objects in View the invention eonsistsin the arrangement and combination of ports hereinafter described and claimed, and while the in veniiou is not restricied to the exact details of constructionoiselosed or suggested herein,

still for the purpose oil? illustrating a prooheol embodiment thereof reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the some parts in the several views, and in which-- Figure 1 is a front elevation of :1 fragment of a support such a dashboard of a vehicle to which my improved mechanism is ab inched; and

Fig. ,2 is vertical section on the line 2-2 i of Fig. 1 and indicating in View of my impifi'fied. atteolieinent.

Referring now more specifically to the drm'viugs show at 1-1) spark coil shown. attached to the rear face of a dashboard 11 or other relatively sgaitiona ry support,

Specification of Leiters Potent.

:19. Sari-aisle. 281,463.

and ii-hrogigh which a series of'terminals 12 project to which contact plat-es 13 are osso chilled on the front of the dashboard.

M and indiceie two horizontal bars of wood or other insulating material. hinged ti'igether' at 16. The upper bar 1 is held in gid position and preferably spaced forword from the dashboard 11 by means of end brackets 17 in addition to the Contact plates 13 which tire preferably secured rigidly as by screws or the like to the front ia'ee of the her i l, By virtue o'f'the hinges 16 the hair 15 maybe carried in substan-' tially the same plane as the bar 14- but is adopted ie be swung; out of said plane as :lor exui'iu'de as shown in dotted lines in or loward the i'IlZLSl'lbOfil'd Any suit- Ellie means may he provided to variably control the position of the her 15, but to this end I show an arm or lever 18 secured. rigidly to one end oi the bar 15 ond to the lower end of the arm 18 I pivomlly connect n plunger 19 extending; loosely through ahole .80 formed in the dashboard preferably below the level of die spark eoil 10 and the hers Li and 53. The plunger is provided with a series oi notches 21 shown as three in number and adapted eooperate in suceession with a fixed keeper 22 secured at one side oi' the plunger as indicated in Fig. 2 below the plunger. A spring 23 carried by he front fine or". the dashboard tends normally to draw the plunger downward or to old the keeper so as to hold the keepei' in engagement with whichever notch is selected by the operator. The hole is large enough to provide for the lifting of the plunger free from. the keeper for longitudinol adjustment thereof through the hole 20 and thereby determining; the angular adustment of the our 15 with respect to the. fixed be" i l. The spring; 23 being hooked over the plunger does not interfere with the it develops a skip due to oily or sooty 27 will be understood as leading to the several spark plugs of the engine cylinders, and being flexible will not interfere with the angular adjustment of the bar 15.

WVith a device constructed and arranged as illustrated or in a manner substantially the same and with the plates 2 so shaped that in the normal position of the device as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, the upper ends or points of the plates 24 will bear upon the plates 13 thereby making metallic connection between the terminals 12 and the high tension wires 27. In this position the plunger 19 is forward. In the starting of a motor from a magneto, which requires considerable speed before a spark is generated, it is desirable to close the gaps between the contacts. 13 and 2% as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, but after the motor is started and spark plugs or otherwise, then the gaps between said contacts 13 and 24 are opened as far as desirable to increase the strength of the sparks at such points and thereby the proper action ofall of the spark plugs will be assured. Ordinarily, therefore the gaps are closed at my device while the engine is being cranked.

- normally the catch.

This deviceis relatively simple in con' struction, cheap to install and maintain, and

is thoroughly reliable and e'fiicient in prac tice. 4

I claim:

In a spark gap controlling device,'the combination with an internal engine, of a pair of relatively fixed and movable bars of insulation hinged together, a plurality of contact members associated with a fixed bar, a like number of movable contact members secured to the movable bar and cooperating respectively with the fixed contact memhers, said fixed and movable contact members interposed in the ignition'circuit of the Y engine between the spark plugs and the source of electrical energy, a lever fixed to said movable bar to rotate it with respect to thefixed bar, thereby increasing or decreasing the sparkgap between the fixed and movable. contact, a manually operated connecting link pivoted to the lever, a plurality of notches in said link, a catch ar-,

ranged to engage said notches, and a spring holding the link in'contact with GEORGE noon TABE'R. 

